Quarter-past the whiskers.

My mother came to visit a few weekends ago to help with early wedding stuff — deciding on colors, attending a bridal show, other really rad mother-daughter stuff. While she was here, we realized I’d be 25 by the next time I saw her. (My birthday is later this month.) So obviously, she gave me a cat watch.

I can’t imagine a better birthday present. What time is it? Quarter-past the whiskers.

Lance snapped these pictures on the walk back to our car after visiting Hartford Coffee Company in South City. A snowstorm started while I om-nomed my jalapeno-infused BLT, which made me a million times happier I went for a hot coffee instead of the smoothie I had contemplated. At least I had tights on. Aren’t tights a godsend during the winter? Kushyfoot recently sent me a few products to review, and I must say, these tights are beyond comfortable. In case you skimmed the name of the brand, these tights have a literally cushy sole; add that to the no-role top, and it’s sort of the perfect pair. When worn with my already comfortable Naturalizer booties, the brisk breeze was the only thing reminding me that I was walking on a frozen and unforgiving sidewalk.